Penalties Galore Can't Stop Spartans' Defense in MSU's 16-10 Victory Over FAU
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- When first-year Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles threw an interception on the first play of Jonathan Smith's reign in East Lansing on Friday night, it almost felt as if the storm cloud of disappointment surrounding last season quickly poked its head back into the minds of the Spartan faithful.
Unfortunately for the visiting Florida Atlantic Owls, the Spartans' defense came to play.
Spartan Stadium lit right back up with excitement when Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi's unit forced a three-and-out, allowing just 1 gained yard, largely thanks to a stuff from defensive end Khris Bogle that he followed with a sack that forced the Owls to punt.
Bogle finished the contest with five tackles, 2.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks.
The unit continued to bail out the offense throughout the first half, even scoring the team's first points of the season. That next Florida State possession -- which began on its own 1-yard line, thanks to a terrific effort by the Spartans' punting unit -- Michigan State transfer sixth-year graduate senior defensive lineman D'Quan Douse sacked Florida Atlantic quarterback Cam Fancher for the safety.
The Spartan offense finally began to look like it could hold its own in the then-early stage of the contest, but yet another turnover -- this time, a fumble in the red zone -- would send the defense back on the field to clean up the offense's mess.
Florida Atlantic's offense would start gaining ground, however, which was helped by a targeting penalty by Spartan junior defensive back Malik Spencer on the very first play of the second quarter. He would be ejected from the game.
That penalty was the first of four against the defense in the first half. Fortunately for them, the unit made up for it with an interception by Spartans fifth-year senior defensive back Angelo Grose.
Grose ultimately led the way for Michigan State's defense, leading the unit with 12 tackles (nine solo).
Michigan State once again picked off Fancher on the Owls' very next possession. It was junior transfer defensive back Nikai Martinez, who returned the interception for 41 yards. That helped set up a Spartan drive that ended with the offense's first touchdown of the game, giving Michigan State a 9-0 lead.
Martinez finished with the second-most tackles of any Spartan, totaling six (five solo) on the evening.
Michigan State would only allow a field goal in the first half. The offense continued to struggle the second half, forcing the defense to carry the load throughout. In fact, the offense went scoreless in the final two quarters.
The Owls had several opportunities to take the lead when it trailed just 16-10 down the stretch, but the Spartans' defense held firm, and in critical fourth-quarter moments, contributions from Grose, transfer fifth-year graduate senior defensive back Ed Woods, Bogle, transfer redshirt senior linebacker Jordan Turner, junior edge rusher Anthony Jones, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren, redshirt sophomore defensive linemen Ken Talley and more.
Despite seven defensive penalties, the Michigan State defense, frankly, saved the offense, holding off FAU's late-game comeback efforts. If penalties was one of the few lows for the defense in this contest, it can live with that. Discipline can be fixed.
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